Tree Removal Permit Guide for Surrey, BC

When Surrey requires a permit

The Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw, 2006, No. 16100 sets its size line at 30 cm. Measure the trunk at 1.4 m. If it reads 30 cm or more, the tree is protected. A stump that measures 35 cm or more is protected too.

Size is not the only test. These trees are protected whatever their diameter:

• every tree on City property;
• replacement trees;
• riparian trees and specimen-quality trees;
• the significant trees listed in Schedules B and B1 (382 of them);
• trees that hold raptor, osprey or heron nests.

Six named species are protected above a size the bylaw sets: Arbutus, Garry Oak, Ginkgo, and the Coast, Dawn and Giant Redwoods. Confirm that size with the City of Surrey. The City consolidated the bylaw through Bylaw 21973 in April 2026, so read the current text before you plan work.

What the permit costs

On an existing lot the fee has two parts. The base fee is $108, and the City adds $42 for each protected tree you remove. Section 36 of the bylaw sets these amounts. For a development or subdivision application, confirm the fees with the City of Surrey.

Replacement trees and cash in lieu

Section 57 sets the ratio. For most species, each protected tree removed means two replacement trees. Red alder and black cottonwood growing outside riparian areas replace at 1:1.

Cash-in-lieu is $550 plus tax per tree, capped at $41,250 plus tax per acre cleared. Confirm with the City of Surrey whether cash-in-lieu is open to your site before you count on it.

How to apply

Surrey takes tree permit applications by email. Start from the City’s tree removal page, then send the application to treebylaw@surrey.ca. The Trees & Landscape Section handles the file. The bylaw record we use gives no standard review time. Confirm the timeline with the City of Surrey.

What the arborist report covers

A report for a Surrey permit typically measures every tree the way the bylaw does: diameter at 1.4 m, with the three largest stems added together on a multi-stem tree. It marks each tree that the bylaw protects at any size, so a small tree on City property or a listed significant tree is not missed.

For trees that stay, the report sites the protection barrier from Schedule C, Table 1. That table sets the barrier radius at roughly six times the trunk diameter. Section 63 requires the barrier whenever work happens within 10 m of a protected trunk. The fence stands at least 1.2 m high, in a contrasting colour, with a “Tree Protection Zone” sign.

Stumps, stems and the 2 to 1 rule

Three Surrey details change the count on a typical lot. The stump rule means a tree cut years ago can still matter: a 35 cm stump is a protected tree under the bylaw. The stem rule works the other way. A clump of thin stems can cross the 30 cm line once the three largest are added up, even when no single stem looks large.

Then the ratio doubles the planting. Most removals owe two trees, and only red alder and black cottonwood outside riparian areas drop to one. A site plan that removes four maples therefore needs room for eight new trees, or a cash-in-lieu conversation with the City.

Who can sign the report

Surrey’s bylaw defines the arborist as an ISA Certified Arborist who is also an ISA Tree Risk Assessor. A report is valid for 2 years. Ask us before you order. We tell you whether we can take your file.

What we do and do not do

We prepare tree removal permit reports. We confirm availability for your address before we quote. If the removal ground is a hazardous or high-risk tree, ask us first. Some Metro Vancouver bylaws require a report author who also holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. We do not offer emergency service. We do not supervise construction.